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The Evaluation of Universities and Their Contributions to Social Exclusion

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University Engagement With Socially Excluded Communities

Abstract

The argument in this chapter is that benchmarking forces institutions to be honest about the relative importance they place on various aspects of their mission. Benchmarking approaches therefore confront universities with potential contradictions in their missions, and compel a degree of reality about community engagement. But the chapter also highlights how university–community engagement benchmarking has also had a social life as a technique adopted by institutions which take the idea of improving their community engagement activities seriously. From this perspective, benchmarking tools can be read as texts which describe the limits to what is both possible and desirable for universities in terms of community engagement.

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Acknowledgements

This chapter draws on within the Economic and Social Research Council funded project ‘Universities and excluded communities’, part of the Regional Impacts of Higher Education Initiative. This Initiative is co-funded by the Higher Education Funding Councils for England and Wales, the Scottish Funding Council and the Department for Education and Learning Northern Ireland.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Higher Education Policy Studies, University of Twente, 7500AE, Enschede, The Netherlands

    Paul Benneworth

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  1. Paul Benneworth
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Higher Education Policy, Studies, University of Twente, Enschede, Netherlands

    Paul Benneworth

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Benneworth, P. (2013). The Evaluation of Universities and Their Contributions to Social Exclusion. In: Benneworth, P. (eds) University Engagement With Socially Excluded Communities. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-4875-0_16

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